This recipe is for a highly versatile and tasty sponge loaf. It uses dried cranberries and blueberries. The sugar in the fruit enhances the sweetness of the mixture and the nuts, when left whole or in large pieces, create an interesting texture. This cake makes an ideal wholesome dessert or snack for the whole family.
Nutty, Cranberry and Blueberry Loaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 100g Brown Flour
- 50g Soft Brown Sugar
- 1 Dessert Spoon Baking Soda
- 2 Eggs
- 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Essence
- 20g Dried Cranberries
- 20g Dried Blueberries
- 25g Flaked Almonds, plus a handful for topping decoration
- 25g Whole Walnuts, plus a handful for topping decoration
Method
- Place the flour, sugar, baking soda, eggs and vanilla essence in to the bowl of a food processor.
- Mix for a few seconds until the ingredients begin to combine.
- Add the cranberries and blueberries and mix for about a minute, or until the fruit has been fully combined in to the mixture.
- Add the almonds and walnuts and mix until they are fully combined in to the mixture (keeping a handful of each back for the topping).
- Pour the cake mixture in to a loaf tin.
- Even out the top of the cake mixture using a knife or spatula. Then sprinkle the remaining handfulls of walnuts and almonds evenly over the top.
- Place the loaf tin in to the oven and cook on Gas Mark 4, 180° for 20 - 30 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and cooked all the way through.
- Take the loaf tin out of the oven and place it on to a cooling rack.
- Turn the cake out of the tin as soon as possible and leave to cool on the cooling rack.
- Allow the cake to cool before serving.
The cake is delicious cut in to slices and served on it's own. Natural yoghurt, vanilla ice cream or cream would make tasty accompaniments, however for the dish to remain dairy free, a soya based vanilla dessert or dairy free ice cream would need to be used.
Nutritional Advantages of Cranberries, used in the Recipe for Nutty, Cranberry and Blueberry Loaf
Cranberries grow on low, woody perennial plants with horizontal stems and short vertical branches of 5 to 20cm in height. There is a short growing season for these red fruits, so it can be difficult to buy fresh cranberries throughout the year.
A practical way of buying and storing this fruit at any time of the year is to use dried or frozen fruits. Cranberries freeze very well and the process doesn't adversely affect the powerful nutrients in the fruit. . Packed with antioxidants, cranberries are also a very good source of vitamin C, manganese, fibre and vitamin K.
Sources
- The Cranberry Institute
- The Cranberry Marketing Committee
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